Who Elijah Wood Could Play In The MCU: Every Possible Marvel Character

Elijah Wood could portray many possible Marvel characters following his admission he wants to star in the MCU. The Lord of the Rings star stated he is ready to be involved in a bigger franchise again, with Elijah Wood touting the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a strong possibility. He was quoted stating, "getting to play again in that universe's sandbox would be a blast," which opens up the tantalizing query of which MCU characters he could still portray.

While Wood has dabbled in several smaller franchises since the original LOTR trilogy, his enduring fame after portraying Frodo Baggins ensures his participation would be a big coup for the MCU. In the last decade, Wood has shied away from blockbusters, preferring roles such as Norval in the black comedy Come To Daddy or lending his voice to Jace Rucklin in Star Wars Resistance. Elijah Wood also co-founded his production company SpectreVision in 2010, which has produced instant cult-classics such as Nic Cage's 80's drenched Mandy and the Persian treasure A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.

Yet Wood's apparent itch to dive into a vast project like the Marvel Cinematic Universe opens up a swathe of possible characters the LOTR star could play. Despite the extended MCU having hundreds of characters already cast, many suitable roles remain for an actor of Wood's caliber. While he may not make the cut physically for retro Marvel legends such as Hercules or Balder The Brave, Marvel's gargantuan CGI budgets mean nothing is impossible. Here's every character Elijah Wood could play in the MCU.

The Silver Surfer

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The return of Fantastic Four characters to Marvel Studios means the Silver Surfer is an inevitability as far as character introductions go. Originally known as Norin Radd, The Silver Surfer served as Galactus' eternal envoy as he divined which planets his master should feed on. While originally an enemy of the Fantastic Four, The Silver Surfer is touched by their nobility and rebels against Galactus, winning his freedom as a result. His transition into the role of a hero made The Silver Surfer a central figure in Marvel canon, with the Sentinel of Spaceways going on to team up with The Hulk and Doctor Strange to protect the Earth as "The Defenders."

These prospects are tantalizing for future blockbuster MCU additions and would certainly be of interest to Elijah Wood. While the Silver Surfer would be mostly CGI, Wood's pedigree with voice acting over the last decade would translate into a captivating portrayal of Norin Radd as he rediscovers his humanity. The Silver Surfer's character arc would also ensure Wood is signed on for multiple MCU installments, with the new MCU phase 4 Fantastic Four slated for 2023 just the first rung on his ladder to becoming a "Defender."

Franklin Richards

The son of Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman, Franklin Richards possesses one of the highest power levels in the Marvel canon. Codenamed Powerhouse, Franklin is a potent being with vast reality-manipulating and psionic abilities despite his young age. He is portrayed in Marvel Comics as a budding superhero who creates microcosmic worlds and alters reality at will, to the point where The Celestials begin to consider him on par with their own cosmic power.

Franklin Richards, then, is another potential destination for Wood. While depicted in the comics as a young boy, Franklin's reality-warping abilities and Wood's capacity to skew younger as an actor mean this casting choice is very much in the realm of possibility. Once again, Elijah Wood as Franklin Richards would mean multiple movie roles, with Franklin's involvement in the Marvel canon shifting across many alternate timelines.

The Beyonder

The Beyonder is a near-omnipotent being who hails from a race of his namesakes, The Beyonders. Accidentally dragged to Earth in a Tachyon beam, The Beyonder became fascinated with the planet and decided to investigate all facets of human behavior. In particular, The Beyonder in Marvel canon is fascinated with the emotion of desire and resolves to understand it in its entirety. This leads him to conduct social experiments on Earth's superheroes and villains, often pitting them against each other. The powerful Marvel villain The Beyonder is eventually discovered and single-handedly defeats all of Earth's champions in multiple battles, proving his unparalleled strength before dissolving himself to create a new cosmos.

Elijah Wood could be incredible in this particular role, provided the MCU can capture the philosophical scope of The Beyonder's character arc. His prior turn in the serial-killer biopic Maniac shows he can translate a cold indifference for life to the big screen despite being better known as playing good-hearted protagonists. While The Beyonder eventually does feel emotion, contributing to his decision to leave earth, Wood would also excel here as an all-powerful entity that wants to be afflicted by the human condition at any cost.

Mephisto

Disney+'s WandaVision dropped several hints at Mephisto, who is the incarnation of the Devil in the Marvel canon, appearing in the MCU. He closely resembles Satan's Christian representations and resides in Hell, which the comics explain as an alternate dimension. His name is derived from Mephistopheles, a German demon famous for offering Dr. Faustus his deepest desires in exchange for his soul. This tale is clearly the inspiration for Mephisto, who also offers many Marvel characters Faustian bargains in which they stand to lose much more than they gain in the final reckoning.

As Mephisto comes in many forms aside from his typical demonic look, Elijah Wood could have a lot of fun in this role. Unshackled by a singular character means Wood could initially play typecast versions of himself that appear innocent before ultimately revealing himself to be the big bad of the MCU movies and shows Mephisto appears in. It is also worth noting that Wood has played evil incarnate before in Frank Miller's Sin City. The director stated Wood's character Kevin was an evil demon designed to oppose Miho, a good-aligned demon.

Adam Warlock

Already teased in the post-credits scene of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2, Adam Warlock looks dead set for an appearance in the next installment after his golden cocoon was revealed. Adam exists as a balance alongside Thanos' character in the Marvel canon, hailing as the Avatar of life. While he has embodied several powers such as rebirth and superstrength over the years, Adam's ultimate purpose is tying many Marvel storylines together as he is one of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's original characters.

Playing the MCU's Adam Warlock is another interesting possibility for Elijah Wood and would certainly afford the actor numerous opportunities to reprise the role. His interconnectivity to Avengers: Infinity War's events and the remaining Guardians Of The Galaxy means he will likely be introduced by the MCU soon and will remain a fixture for some time. Warlock's characteristics would also align nicely with Wood's natural demeanor, as he is a good-aligned character who appears human in the comics.

Next: What Has Elijah Wood Done Since Lord of the Rings